Narrative:

During a scheduled flight to mason city, the flight concluded with a landing on a closed runway at mason city, ia. Prior to departing minneapolis WX and NOTAMS were checked for the flight from minneapolis to mason city. There was a note, however, in flight operations that runway 12-30 for mason city would be closed. During the flight down to mason city we the crew discussed the fact that 12-30 would be closed and we'd have to determine our landing accordingly. Approximately 15 mins from landing at mason city we received the latest WX observation from mason city via operations personnel at mason city. No mention was made for any NOTAMS and/or closed runways. During our descent we were limited to 5000' MSL by center for traffic at mason city that was shooting practice ILS approachs to runway 35. The conditions favored an approach to runway 35 so that is what we prepared for. With the runway in sight but still at 5000' we told center we had the mason city airport in sight and proceeded with a visibility approach to runway 35. While on CTAF 123.0 at mason city we made approximately 10 xmissions indicating our intentions to land on runway 35, mason city and giving and receiving traffic reports for the other aircraft shooting practice approachs at mason city. On short final was the first I noticed an 'X' on the pavement which I took to be the 'X' for runway 12-30 and proceeded to land on runway 35. As we rolled out to the end was the first indication (realization) to us as a crew that we were on a closed runway as there was a second 'X' by the 17 #south. As we taxied in we had a radio conversation with the mason city unicom operator. He wondered if we knew that we had landed on a closed runway. We said that we did not and our first indication was the 'X' at the far end. We told him that our flight operations had a note about 12-30 being closed, but not 17-35, and that there were no NOTAMS at all for mason city on the WX service. He wanted to know if we had seen the 'X's' on the runway. I said that I had noticed the 'X' on the approach end, but thought it was an 'X' for 30 and not 35. He said that he would check on the NOTAM. When we were departing we again asked center if they had any NOTAMS for mason city and they said no. When we got back to minneapolis the other pilot (captain) said he was going to correct the note in our operations and I assume he did so. Contributing factors in my opinion are: no NOTAMS on available WX information. Note in flight operations indicating the other runway was the runway closed. Both pilots' expectations that the other runway was closed. No indication from center that there was a closed runway at mason city. No indication from mason city operations that there was a closed runway. No indication from mason city unicom (CTAF) that there was a closed runway at mason city, even when we made approximately 10 radio xmissions communicating our intended landing on the closed runway (35), which the unicom operator first told us about only after we landed on it. The only other traffic at mason city was shooting practice ILS approachs to runway 35 at mason city. It was a hazy day not giving clear visibility on a high pattern to see the 2 'X's' on the runway even though it was VFR. The 'X' on the 35 end was too close to the intersection of 35 and 30 which from my perception on final could easily have been an 'X' for runway 30.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LTT LANDED ON CLOSED RWY AT MCW.

Narrative: DURING A SCHEDULED FLT TO MASON CITY, THE FLT CONCLUDED WITH A LNDG ON A CLOSED RWY AT MASON CITY, IA. PRIOR TO DEPARTING MINNEAPOLIS WX AND NOTAMS WERE CHKED FOR THE FLT FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO MASON CITY. THERE WAS A NOTE, HOWEVER, IN FLT OPS THAT RWY 12-30 FOR MASON CITY WOULD BE CLOSED. DURING THE FLT DOWN TO MASON CITY WE THE CREW DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT 12-30 WOULD BE CLOSED AND WE'D HAVE TO DETERMINE OUR LNDG ACCORDINGLY. APPROX 15 MINS FROM LNDG AT MASON CITY WE RECEIVED THE LATEST WX OBSERVATION FROM MASON CITY VIA OPS PERSONNEL AT MASON CITY. NO MENTION WAS MADE FOR ANY NOTAMS AND/OR CLOSED RWYS. DURING OUR DSNT WE WERE LIMITED TO 5000' MSL BY CENTER FOR TFC AT MASON CITY THAT WAS SHOOTING PRACTICE ILS APCHS TO RWY 35. THE CONDITIONS FAVORED AN APCH TO RWY 35 SO THAT IS WHAT WE PREPARED FOR. WITH THE RWY IN SIGHT BUT STILL AT 5000' WE TOLD CENTER WE HAD THE MASON CITY ARPT IN SIGHT AND PROCEEDED WITH A VIS APCH TO RWY 35. WHILE ON CTAF 123.0 AT MASON CITY WE MADE APPROX 10 XMISSIONS INDICATING OUR INTENTIONS TO LAND ON RWY 35, MASON CITY AND GIVING AND RECEIVING TFC RPTS FOR THE OTHER ACFT SHOOTING PRACTICE APCHS AT MASON CITY. ON SHORT FINAL WAS THE FIRST I NOTICED AN 'X' ON THE PAVEMENT WHICH I TOOK TO BE THE 'X' FOR RWY 12-30 AND PROCEEDED TO LAND ON RWY 35. AS WE ROLLED OUT TO THE END WAS THE FIRST INDICATION (REALIZATION) TO US AS A CREW THAT WE WERE ON A CLOSED RWY AS THERE WAS A SECOND 'X' BY THE 17 #S. AS WE TAXIED IN WE HAD A RADIO CONVERSATION WITH THE MASON CITY UNICOM OPERATOR. HE WONDERED IF WE KNEW THAT WE HAD LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY. WE SAID THAT WE DID NOT AND OUR FIRST INDICATION WAS THE 'X' AT THE FAR END. WE TOLD HIM THAT OUR FLT OPS HAD A NOTE ABOUT 12-30 BEING CLOSED, BUT NOT 17-35, AND THAT THERE WERE NO NOTAMS AT ALL FOR MASON CITY ON THE WX SVC. HE WANTED TO KNOW IF WE HAD SEEN THE 'X'S' ON THE RWY. I SAID THAT I HAD NOTICED THE 'X' ON THE APCH END, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS AN 'X' FOR 30 AND NOT 35. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD CHK ON THE NOTAM. WHEN WE WERE DEPARTING WE AGAIN ASKED CENTER IF THEY HAD ANY NOTAMS FOR MASON CITY AND THEY SAID NO. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO MINNEAPOLIS THE OTHER PLT (CAPT) SAID HE WAS GOING TO CORRECT THE NOTE IN OUR OPS AND I ASSUME HE DID SO. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN MY OPINION ARE: NO NOTAMS ON AVAILABLE WX INFO. NOTE IN FLT OPS INDICATING THE OTHER RWY WAS THE RWY CLOSED. BOTH PLTS' EXPECTATIONS THAT THE OTHER RWY WAS CLOSED. NO INDICATION FROM CENTER THAT THERE WAS A CLOSED RWY AT MASON CITY. NO INDICATION FROM MASON CITY OPS THAT THERE WAS A CLOSED RWY. NO INDICATION FROM MASON CITY UNICOM (CTAF) THAT THERE WAS A CLOSED RWY AT MASON CITY, EVEN WHEN WE MADE APPROX 10 RADIO XMISSIONS COMMUNICATING OUR INTENDED LNDG ON THE CLOSED RWY (35), WHICH THE UNICOM OPERATOR FIRST TOLD US ABOUT ONLY AFTER WE LANDED ON IT. THE ONLY OTHER TFC AT MASON CITY WAS SHOOTING PRACTICE ILS APCHS TO RWY 35 AT MASON CITY. IT WAS A HAZY DAY NOT GIVING CLR VISIBILITY ON A HIGH PATTERN TO SEE THE 2 'X'S' ON THE RWY EVEN THOUGH IT WAS VFR. THE 'X' ON THE 35 END WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE INTXN OF 35 AND 30 WHICH FROM MY PERCEPTION ON FINAL COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN AN 'X' FOR RWY 30.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.